Ringo: Roberson can only watch as CU Buffs suffer brutal loss

So did Colorado basketball fans who have turned out in record numbers this season and braved a brutal snowstorm Saturday to watch their beloved Buffs play Oregon State.

Instead of collecting his usual dozen rebounds and leading his team to a victory over the Beavers in what should be the final men's game at the Coors Events Center this season, Roberson sat on the bench Saturday afternoon in a black polo shirt, camouflage pants and sneakers watching and wishing.

It was the second consecutive game he has missed since contracting what the school is calling "a viral illness" and what the Camera has been told is Mononucleosis. He had played in 102 straight games before the illness sapped his energy and forced him off the court.

Sitting and watching a brutal loss is no way to end what has been a brilliant three years.

It was obvious how badly the Buffs missed Roberson all afternoon as they struggled against Oregon State and ultimately lost to the Beavers. It was a bad loss to say the least. Oregon State is 14-17 overall and 4-14 in Pac-12 play. The Buffs have no business losing a game on their home floor to a team with that track record, especially not at this time of year when good teams handle their business.

The Buffs rallied together Wednesday night after hearing they would be without their leader and beat No. 19 Oregon here. After that game coach Tad Boyle said he couldn't remember being more proud of a team after any game he had coached.

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Apparently the Buffs had just one win-one-for-Andre performance in them.

Boyle's reaction to Saturday's game couldn't have been more different. Prior to introducing senior Sabatino Chen and fourth-year junior Shane Harris-Tunks to the crowd to say their farewells following their final home games, Boyle apologized.

"I apologize for today's performance," he said with about one-third of the 10,105 who showed up remaining in the stands. "That's on me as a head coach. But there is a lot of basketball ahead for this team."

That is true. The Buffs do have plenty of basketball left to play. The questions are if it will be in the NCAA tournament or the NIT and if Roberson will be back on the court for any of it.

Boyle needs his tenacity and leadership not to mention his rebounding and defense. Colorado's coach had a near meltdown in the huddle during a timeout with 17 minutes left in the game. He threw his whiteboard on the floor not once but twice while screaming at his players.

That moment and others like it Saturday probably would not have occurred with a healthy Roberson in the game.

Roberson has been playing all season with a looming decision hanging over him, whether to leave school early and enter the NBA draft this summer or come back for his senior year.

The latest mock drafts on the Internet don't see Roberson as a first-round pick in June. Some don't list him as a draft pick at all, which has to make you question their credibility. After all, this is a player who leads the nation in rebounding at the end of the regular season and is the likely Pac-12 Conference defensive player of the year.

Roberson has plenty of work to do on his offensive game to play consistently at the next level, but trust me, he's a draft pick.

But he might not be a first-round pick, and that's really the key here. First-round picks get guaranteed contracts worth millions. Second-round picks have no such security blanket and many end up overseas or in the development league.

Unless Roberson is advised to turn pro by the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee later this spring, he should return to Boulder for his senior season.

Imagine next season's team with him and without him for a moment.

With him, the Buffs are a contender for the Pac-12 title, nationally ranked and a team with the talent and experience to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Without him, they could still be good and very successful, but all of that would be much less certain.

Unless Roberson makes a surprising recovery, he won't pass Stephane Pelle and become Colorado's all-time leading rebounder. He needs 36 more rebounds to pass Pelle, about three games worth give or take.

If Roberson comes back next season, he could leave CU as its most accomplished and decorated men's basketball player. He could win a conference championship. He could play in another NCAA tournament and who knows what March Madness might occur.

And if Roberson comes back for his senior year, he could go out the right way with a heartfelt senior day speech after a win to a crowd that isn't heading toward the exits lamenting a loss

Andre Roberson deserves a better finale. He should come back and make one.

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